What is a successful stationery purchase? On what metric does one measure a successful purchase? My mind rests this week on the philosophical challenge of deciding which stationery purchases are good and which are mistakes.

Because I’ve made stationery purchases throughout the last two weeks. And asked for stationery purchases as birthday gifts. Nerdy armchair philosophizing incoming. All shared in fun.

I did it. At long last, I transported my physical person into the hallowed Yoseka Stationery shop. Where friendly staff were eager to join me in touching, swabbing and sampling basically every item in the shop. I apologize for the excited-toddler personality I brought into their lovingly curated shop.

This week is the second anniversary of the mnmlscholar. This blog is a pathway for sharing how I use my analog and digital tools to find joy in my writing and teaching. My way of choosing joy. It’s a labor of love — and necessity for my workflow.

I review my pen collection every year or two. The goal is to ensure that all of the pens in my case remain interesting enough to me that they make me want to write.

We have reached the end of my collection reflection. The fourth and final 13-pen tray. Populated with one-offs from small makers and small one-or-two-pen collections. Chaos. A tray I lovingly call the “Tray of Unreasoned Un-order.”